A/N: Just so you guys know, I have little knowledge of heart murmurs and
such heart congenital defects. I'm making some of this stuff up off the
top of my head so the story works out right. In my little world this is
the way the world works.
"Liz, are you alright?" Alex popped the door open. He heard quite a bit shifting around in her room.
"Yes, Alex." She said from flat on her back on the floor.
"You sure?"
"Yes." She smiled. "Ever since I was little, I would just lie out on my back whenever I was stressed or aching. It's the most comfortable position."
"You're pregnant, Liz." He asked concerned, he'd come to care for her over the past month she had been living with them.
"I noticed. If I get back in that bed I swear, I'm not gonna scream." She said.
"Fine. Where does it ache?" He said coming to sit next to her.
"Lower back." She said closing her eyes. "Sometimes I wish she would just come, yet I know it's the safest place in the world for her to be, and I don't want her to leave it."
"I know, she's going to soon, Liz." Alex said.
"Could you get me a warm pack, Alex, not hot just lukewarm?" She asked.
"Yes." He stood and left her on the floor and returned a few minutes later.
"Thanks." She settled it under her back to where it was comfortable and closed her eyes.
Alex sat by her not feeling quite right leaving her by herself.
Maria poked her head in the door fifteen minutes later.
"Is this some sort of slumber party without me?" She asked sitting down next to Alex.
"Quiet, Maria." He motioned her.
"Why?"
"She just fell back to sleep." Alex said.
"Why are you letting her lie on the floor, Alex? She's pregnant."
"She wants to be here." He shrugged.
"Why?" Maria whispered.
"It's more comfortable here." Liz told Maria peeping through her eyelids.
"Baby giving you a lot of trouble?" She sympathized.
"Yeah, much more than usual." She said and shifted to rest her head in Maria's lap.
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Maria stroked her hair concerned.
"It's too early for her to be born." Liz shook her head in denial. "We still have another month."
"If you're sure."
A few minutes later, Liz excused herself to go the bathroom.
"Umm, Maria, can you come here for a second?" Liz called.
"In the bathroom with her?" Alex asked disgusted.
"No, Alex, just outside the door." Maria whacked him on the head before going to see what was up. "What's wrong, babe?" She called.
"I think my water just broke."
**** The doctor stepped out of the room frustrated.
Maria followed close behind. "What's up, Morgan?"
"It's not good." The doctor was a good friend of Maria's from when she had been a freshmen.
"Why?" She asked eagerly looking at an exhausted Liz who was resting briefly inside the room.
"She's been in labor for four hours and the baby hasn't even turned. She's a month early, we may have to perform a cesarean." He said through a sigh.
"Luckily it's a slow night and she's the only one, huh?" Maria asked. The labor and delivery floor was unusually empty.
"Yeah, the memorial hospital is taking most of our L&Ds." He said. "I don't even know how much longer we're going to stay open here." He turned back towards the room. The nurse was reattaching a band around Liz's stomach to monitor her heart beat as well as the baby's. "You wanna tell her, or do you want me to?"
Maria took a deep breath before walking in to the room to deliver the news.
"Hey, how's little Maria doing?" She asked softly stroking the hair from her face.
"Hannah's doing great." Liz emphasized. "Besides the fact that she refuses to come."
"Liz, the doctor told me something." She sat down in the chair next to her.
"What?" Liz said noticing the look on Maria's face. "What's wrong?"
"The baby still hasn't turned. And because of the heartbeat, they want to perform a cesarean." She said slowly.
Liz stared blankly ahead. She remembered from biology class that the baby usually turned before the mother's water broke. She nodded.
"They want to do it soon, Liz. For your health and little Maria's." Maria told her stroking her hand.
"Alright." She whispered. Her face contorted again. The pain was harsh but as the doctor had said earlier, they were making no progress.
One hour later, Liz held her little girl, Hannah Bella-Marie Parker, in her arms.
"She's gorgeous, Liz." Maria said to her. Liz was drifting in and out of sleep but refused to let anyone take her daughter except for a few tests.
"The doctor said she was healthy looking for a one month premature." Liz whispered proudly. "She only looks healthy though." She said through tears.
"What happened?" Maria had waited in the waiting room outside during the procedure and was only now allowed into the room.
"She has a heart murmur. It's fixable but he doesn't want to risk it on such an early birth. They have medicine she can take until she's big enough to cope with the surgery to fix it." Liz held her baby delicately close to her body.
"She'll be ok. There are so many medical advances out there for her, Liz. Don't worry."
"Hello, Mommy." The nurse knocked on the door. "Ready for first feeding?"
"Yeah." Liz said trying to sit up but wincing in pain.
"Here." Maria adjusted the pillows. "I'll be outside, Babe." She told her.
"No, Maria, please stay?" Liz pleaded, not wanting to be alone.
"Fine." she rested once more on the bed.
****
Max had a hard time focusing on his book that he had been reading for English.
"Max, what is wrong with you?" Michael asked his best friend.
"Nothing, I just feel jumpy." He thumped the book down on the table and paced to the window.
Liz had a month to go till the baby was born. He knew that Isabel talked to her regularly and that she wasn't telling him everything. Which was fine if that was what Liz wanted.
"Why don't we call it a night?" Michael stood up as well and stretched.
"I think that would be a good idea." Max said not looking at his friend. "Goodnight, Michael."
"Goodnight." He left the room quietly noticing his friend wasn't going to say more.
Max showered and crawled into bed exhausted making sure his cell was on.
He was almost asleep when his phone started ringing, without looking at the number he answered. "Hello?"
"Max?"
It was Liz! "Liz, Liz, where are you?" He shot up in bed.
"You have a daughter, she was born at 3:25 a.m. on November 4. She weighs 5 lbs, 6 ounces. Her name is Hannah Bella-Marie Parker. Congratulations. Goodbye, Max." And the line went dead.
Max stared at the phone in disbelief before he shot out of bed. "Isabel!"
****
Liz squeezed her eyes shut. She should have told Max about Hannah's condition but that would make him try to come and look for her and she couldn't have that.
"You ok?" Maria asked concerned. The feeding had left her friend drained and she had protested calling Max until morning.
"I'm fine." She whispered fighting off the pain, both in her abdomen and in her heart before she fell asleep.
Liz awoke later for another feeding at the insistence of the nurse, even though she wasn't crying.
"Breastfed babies usually lose weight after birth before they start gaining, Mommy, it's best to feed whenever possible." The nurse insisted.
Taking her daughter from the nurse she took her advice. After she was done Liz just sat and cuddled her baby.
"Are you keeping the baby?" The morning nurse asked the next morning.
"Of course, I'm keeping her, why would you think anything different?" She hadn't been acting distant from her child had she? She couldn't remember putting her down except she was sleeping.
"There's a Social Worker here to see you."
"What?"
"Hello, Ms. Parker, my name is Winifred Smith and I am going to be your caseworker." She introduced herself as if Liz wanted her there.
Liz gazed back at her. Her brown eyes filled with anger at the woman sitting next to her.
"Liz, are you alright?" Alex popped the door open. He heard quite a bit shifting around in her room.
"Yes, Alex." She said from flat on her back on the floor.
"You sure?"
"Yes." She smiled. "Ever since I was little, I would just lie out on my back whenever I was stressed or aching. It's the most comfortable position."
"You're pregnant, Liz." He asked concerned, he'd come to care for her over the past month she had been living with them.
"I noticed. If I get back in that bed I swear, I'm not gonna scream." She said.
"Fine. Where does it ache?" He said coming to sit next to her.
"Lower back." She said closing her eyes. "Sometimes I wish she would just come, yet I know it's the safest place in the world for her to be, and I don't want her to leave it."
"I know, she's going to soon, Liz." Alex said.
"Could you get me a warm pack, Alex, not hot just lukewarm?" She asked.
"Yes." He stood and left her on the floor and returned a few minutes later.
"Thanks." She settled it under her back to where it was comfortable and closed her eyes.
Alex sat by her not feeling quite right leaving her by herself.
Maria poked her head in the door fifteen minutes later.
"Is this some sort of slumber party without me?" She asked sitting down next to Alex.
"Quiet, Maria." He motioned her.
"Why?"
"She just fell back to sleep." Alex said.
"Why are you letting her lie on the floor, Alex? She's pregnant."
"She wants to be here." He shrugged.
"Why?" Maria whispered.
"It's more comfortable here." Liz told Maria peeping through her eyelids.
"Baby giving you a lot of trouble?" She sympathized.
"Yeah, much more than usual." She said and shifted to rest her head in Maria's lap.
"Are you sure that's all it is?" Maria stroked her hair concerned.
"It's too early for her to be born." Liz shook her head in denial. "We still have another month."
"If you're sure."
A few minutes later, Liz excused herself to go the bathroom.
"Umm, Maria, can you come here for a second?" Liz called.
"In the bathroom with her?" Alex asked disgusted.
"No, Alex, just outside the door." Maria whacked him on the head before going to see what was up. "What's wrong, babe?" She called.
"I think my water just broke."
**** The doctor stepped out of the room frustrated.
Maria followed close behind. "What's up, Morgan?"
"It's not good." The doctor was a good friend of Maria's from when she had been a freshmen.
"Why?" She asked eagerly looking at an exhausted Liz who was resting briefly inside the room.
"She's been in labor for four hours and the baby hasn't even turned. She's a month early, we may have to perform a cesarean." He said through a sigh.
"Luckily it's a slow night and she's the only one, huh?" Maria asked. The labor and delivery floor was unusually empty.
"Yeah, the memorial hospital is taking most of our L&Ds." He said. "I don't even know how much longer we're going to stay open here." He turned back towards the room. The nurse was reattaching a band around Liz's stomach to monitor her heart beat as well as the baby's. "You wanna tell her, or do you want me to?"
Maria took a deep breath before walking in to the room to deliver the news.
"Hey, how's little Maria doing?" She asked softly stroking the hair from her face.
"Hannah's doing great." Liz emphasized. "Besides the fact that she refuses to come."
"Liz, the doctor told me something." She sat down in the chair next to her.
"What?" Liz said noticing the look on Maria's face. "What's wrong?"
"The baby still hasn't turned. And because of the heartbeat, they want to perform a cesarean." She said slowly.
Liz stared blankly ahead. She remembered from biology class that the baby usually turned before the mother's water broke. She nodded.
"They want to do it soon, Liz. For your health and little Maria's." Maria told her stroking her hand.
"Alright." She whispered. Her face contorted again. The pain was harsh but as the doctor had said earlier, they were making no progress.
One hour later, Liz held her little girl, Hannah Bella-Marie Parker, in her arms.
"She's gorgeous, Liz." Maria said to her. Liz was drifting in and out of sleep but refused to let anyone take her daughter except for a few tests.
"The doctor said she was healthy looking for a one month premature." Liz whispered proudly. "She only looks healthy though." She said through tears.
"What happened?" Maria had waited in the waiting room outside during the procedure and was only now allowed into the room.
"She has a heart murmur. It's fixable but he doesn't want to risk it on such an early birth. They have medicine she can take until she's big enough to cope with the surgery to fix it." Liz held her baby delicately close to her body.
"She'll be ok. There are so many medical advances out there for her, Liz. Don't worry."
"Hello, Mommy." The nurse knocked on the door. "Ready for first feeding?"
"Yeah." Liz said trying to sit up but wincing in pain.
"Here." Maria adjusted the pillows. "I'll be outside, Babe." She told her.
"No, Maria, please stay?" Liz pleaded, not wanting to be alone.
"Fine." she rested once more on the bed.
****
Max had a hard time focusing on his book that he had been reading for English.
"Max, what is wrong with you?" Michael asked his best friend.
"Nothing, I just feel jumpy." He thumped the book down on the table and paced to the window.
Liz had a month to go till the baby was born. He knew that Isabel talked to her regularly and that she wasn't telling him everything. Which was fine if that was what Liz wanted.
"Why don't we call it a night?" Michael stood up as well and stretched.
"I think that would be a good idea." Max said not looking at his friend. "Goodnight, Michael."
"Goodnight." He left the room quietly noticing his friend wasn't going to say more.
Max showered and crawled into bed exhausted making sure his cell was on.
He was almost asleep when his phone started ringing, without looking at the number he answered. "Hello?"
"Max?"
It was Liz! "Liz, Liz, where are you?" He shot up in bed.
"You have a daughter, she was born at 3:25 a.m. on November 4. She weighs 5 lbs, 6 ounces. Her name is Hannah Bella-Marie Parker. Congratulations. Goodbye, Max." And the line went dead.
Max stared at the phone in disbelief before he shot out of bed. "Isabel!"
****
Liz squeezed her eyes shut. She should have told Max about Hannah's condition but that would make him try to come and look for her and she couldn't have that.
"You ok?" Maria asked concerned. The feeding had left her friend drained and she had protested calling Max until morning.
"I'm fine." She whispered fighting off the pain, both in her abdomen and in her heart before she fell asleep.
Liz awoke later for another feeding at the insistence of the nurse, even though she wasn't crying.
"Breastfed babies usually lose weight after birth before they start gaining, Mommy, it's best to feed whenever possible." The nurse insisted.
Taking her daughter from the nurse she took her advice. After she was done Liz just sat and cuddled her baby.
"Are you keeping the baby?" The morning nurse asked the next morning.
"Of course, I'm keeping her, why would you think anything different?" She hadn't been acting distant from her child had she? She couldn't remember putting her down except she was sleeping.
"There's a Social Worker here to see you."
"What?"
"Hello, Ms. Parker, my name is Winifred Smith and I am going to be your caseworker." She introduced herself as if Liz wanted her there.
Liz gazed back at her. Her brown eyes filled with anger at the woman sitting next to her.